The pictures of these Peony plants were taken at the Beijing Summer Palace. The plants bear attractive flowers and are named after Paeon (Παιών), a figure from Greek mythology, who was turned into such a flower by Zeus.

Since the Qing Dynasty, the Peony –in specific the native variety Paeonia suffruticosa, which is commonly known as the Tree Peony– has been the national flower of China, as well as the city flower of the ancient Chinese capital Luoyang (fig.), nowadays a centre of this flower's cultivation.